Hitching-post



Patented July 30, 1895y IINrTED STATES PATErrrv OFFICE.

CHARLES A. HANSON, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

HlTeHlNc-Pos'r.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent No. 543,624, dated July30, 1895.

Application filed September 28, 1894. Serial No. 524,327. (No model.`

To all whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. HANsoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Rock Island, in the county ofRock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hitching-Posts; and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The present invention has for-its object to provide a bitching post thatwill possess strength and durability, enabled to be securely and firmlyheld in the ground, easy of operation When desired to hitch the horsethereto, and in many respects superior to the posts ordinarily in use.

The invention consists in a bitching-post constructed substantially asshown in the drawings, and hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a perspective view of abitching-post constructed in accordance with my invention, the lower endof the post being shown as broken away; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation ofthe post on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a hollow metal post of anysuitable diameter and length that may be found best adapted to thepurpose, the lower end of which is split, as shown, to formlaterally-projecting barbs B. These barbs hold the post in an uprightposition in the ground when it is inserted therein and the dirt packedaround it.

The upper end of the post A has connected I to it a suitable head O,which head may be to improve its appearance.

made to represent the head of some animalsuch asa dogor horse-and, ifdesired, painted The head is cast hollow and has a tubular neck a, whichfits in the upper end of the post and is held stationary therein bymeans of a set-screw b or by any other suitable fastening device thatmay be found best adapted to the purpose. The head C has anopeningthrough which the bitching-chain D passes, said chain having uponits outer end a snap-hook d or other like'device for bitching it to thehorse.

A spiral spring E is located in the hollow post A and has its endssuitably connected to flanged plates e f, respectively. The upper one ofthese plates forms a stop for the spring when it is contracted byabutting against the lower end 0f the tubular neck a, which forms ashoulder. therefor. The lower one of the plates, as shown at f, forms aguide to the spring E when it is contracted or expanded, and the stop gconnected to the chain prevents the chain from passing entirely into thehead C and'enables the chain to hold the spiral spring up into thehollow post A, as shown in Fig. 2. The stop also serves to close theopening in the head C when the chain is not in use, thereby providingagainst the danger of malicious persons throwing pebbles, dirt, or otherobjects into the post which would prevent the free Working of thespring.

The lower end of the chain D is suitably connected to the hangedguide-plate f and passes up through an opening in the plate e, but isnot connected thereto. These plates @fare flanged, so as to betterretain them in a horizontal position against any side or un- 'equalpressure of the spring thereon, and the flange upon the lower plateproviding a better guide therefor. These lianges upon the plates willnot allow them to tip or assume an incline, but are held in atrue'horizontal position, thereby compelling the coils to be equallycompressed when the spring is contracted.

The inner sides of the head C, near `its opening, are formed withvertical grooves c to receive the ends of a roller G and admit of itsrotation and at the same time move up and down, a suitable plate F beingconnected around the opening to retain the roller in position and form abearing for the stop g. The essential feature of this roller is to havea compound movement-that is to say, a rotary movement or a movement uponits axis and a movement up and down to adapt itself to the varyingequalities of the links of the bitching-chain D, and therefore theroller may be connected to the head in any suitable manner that willadmit of this compound movement. As the chain is drawn out for use theeyes of the links thereof will strike in succession the roller h andcause the roller to rotate and also be raised out of the way, and whenthe eye of the link passes the roller IOO said roller will fall backinto position until the eye of the next link comes in contact therewith,when it will be forced up out of the way, thereby providing anantifrictionroller for the chain that will adapt itself to theirregularities thereof.

1When the chain is in the position shown, the plate g closes the openingthrough which it passes and prevents stones and other such material frombeing forced into the post by malicious and mischievous persons. Whenthe chain is drawn out and the plate pulled from the opening, it becomesnecessary to have seine device which will automatically take the placeoi' the plate, and hence the vertically-moving roller is used inaddition to the plate. This roller while allowing the chain to be freelydrawn back and forth closes the opening by settling down upon the chain,and thus prevents sticks, stones, and dirt from being forced into thepost so as to interfere with the working of the chain.

The head C is cast with a circumferential shoulder i to rest upon theend ot the post A and thereby take any strain oll the set-screw or otherlike fastening.

Any suitable metal may be used iu the con- .havinga horizontal openingthrough its upper end, and the chain which passes through the opening,combined with a vertically moving roller or device for closing theopening above the chain, substantiallyv as described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

. CHARLES A. IIANSON. Witnesses:

AUGUST H ANsoN, FRANK NUFER.

